The Sleepy Eye Indians defeated Searles in two playoff games last weekend, which has advanced them to play in the Region 2C tournament this weekend.

Sleepy Eye began the best of a three-game series with a 8-5 win on July 26 at home. The Grizzlies got off to a good start after they scored two runs in the second inning, but the Indians responded after a double by John Mangen allowed them to score two of their own. Alan Woitas hit an RBI in the third to get the 3-2 lead, which lasted all the way until the seventh inning.

Searles started the seventh with a huge hit to right field, in which Alan Woitas attempted a diving catch only to miss it by an inch. The Grizzlies tied it 3-3 and weren’t done there. Another double by a Searles player plus a throwing error by Mangen to third base led the Grizzlies to score two more.

But it was Andrew Woitas’ turn to get the big hit for Sleepy Eye, as he hit a big double to right field which brought in two runs for the Indians to tie it 5-5. Alan Woitas then hit an RBI single to take the lead, and Scott Salfer extended the lead after he hit a double of his own to bring in two more runs.

Andrew Woitas, Alan Woitas, Salfer and Mangen had two RBI apiece to lead Sleepy Eye at bat. Both Jake Bohnen and Joey Walter had two hits and two runs, while Sean Mathiowetz recorded two hits and one run. Andrew Woitas led on the mound with nine strikeouts, 10 hits and five runs over seven innings.

On July 28, the Indians traveled to Searles for the second game of the series. Sleepy Eye won 9-5 in a slugfest. The highlight of the game was Kelly Krzmarzick, who hit a two run homer for the Indians.

Sleepy Eye will play against the number two team of Lamberton on Aug. 3 for the first game of the Region 2C tournament.